PORTLAND (WGME) — For years, an invasive species of plant has grown in some of Maine’s lakes and rivers.
There are organizations that make it a priority to eradicate this problem.
Milfoil is a long-stranded plant with leaves branching out.
Milfoil continues to spread throughout some of Maine’s lakes and rivers. (WGME)
In Maine, there are native species of this plant and invasive ones.
“The plants that we are concerned with and are working on are found in freshwater systems. Any lake, any pond, any river,” Maine Department of Environmental Protection Aquatic Invasive Species Unit leader John McPhedran said.
The plant can also have an impact on the wildlife surrounding it.
A look at the Variable Leaf Milfoil plant species. (Maine Department of Environmental Protection)
“It all depends on how densely they grow and where they’re growing. But there can be some impacts on other organisms in the water,” McPhedran said.
For years, the Maine DEP and local lake associations have been using different forms of treatments.
“There are some instances where we have had success in eradicating a plant when it’s found early. Sometimes, that eradication has been able to be accomplished with manual removal of the plants. So grabbing the plants by the roots and pulling them out, but in other cases, we have also used chemicals,” McPhedran said.
A look at the Eurasian Milfoil plant species. (Maine Department of Environmental Protection)
If an herbicide is applied, a follow-up treatment is required to manually remove plants that have a chance to re-grow.
“That prevention is really what we’re aiming for, and we do that by granting funds to watershed associations and lake associations for them to run courtesy boat inspection programs,” McPhedran said.
Milfoil continues to spread throughout some of Maine’s lakes and rivers. (WGME)
For information on the bodies of water that may contain invasive aquatic plants, you can head to their website.
The Maine DEP is also holding in-person informational meetings on these dates:
Messalonskee Lake – Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., Belgrade Center for All Seasons, 1 Center Drive, Belgrade. Androscoggin Lake – Monday, June 8, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., Androscoggin Yacht Club, 22 Lake Street, Wayne. Little Sebago Lake – Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., Town of Windham Public Works Building, 185 Windham Center Road, Windham.